Portfolio



(No Model.)

A. EDWARDS.

PORTFOLIO. 7

No. 407,284. Patented July 16, 1889.

ATTORNEY N. PETERS, PhMwI-Nwgnphen' Wuh'mglml, B. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT EDWVARDS, OF BROOKLYN, NE\V YORK.

PORTFOLIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,284, dated July 16, 1889.

Application filed December 27, 1888. Serial No. 294,777. (No model.)

To all whom it 72mg] concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Portfolio, of which the followingis aspecification.

My invention relates to a portfolio for holding and displaying sheet-music, engravings, etchings, large photographs, sample goods, and the like.

The object of my invention is to provide a portfolio which shall aiford a means of preservation for the class of articles above set forth, shall render its contents capable of easy selection and withdrawal, and shall keep its contents in an even position without jamming at the bottom. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a transverse sectional elevation of the portfolio, showing it open. Fig. 2 is a top view of the portfolio, showing it open. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the bottom or hinge pieces. Fig. 4 is an end view of the portfolio closed. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the end of the portfolio hinge-pieces as covered with canvas, leather, or other suitable material.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout.

My portfolio consists of a case A a, of wood or suitable material, this case being attached at the points a a and d cl to the outermost of beveled pieces B B, of wood or suitable material. The beveled pieces B B B are in length the full width of the case, exclusive of the thickness of its siding, lie parallel With each other, and are beveled off on their sides or edges, so that when looked at endwise they resemble a series of keystones in contact, and are held together at their upper edges by a flexible fastening of canvas, leather, tape, cord, or suitable material 6 c e, which will allow the keystones to bend back upon each other. They thus form a flexible back for the case A a, which may be given a finish by a suitable end covering, as shown by D D d d, Fig. 5. Attached to or near the ends of the beveled pieces B B B are upright pieces B B B, of wood or suitable material, with connecting horizontal pieces 0 O O, and attached to the beveled hinge-pieces B B B, of wood or suitable material, at the points I) b b and b" b b, and connecting them with the pieces 0 C Care vertical strips 1) b b, the whole forming, through the action of the hinge-pieces B B B, hinged leaves. Instead of the open-work leaves thus formed, solid sheets of wood, pasteboard, or suitable material may be attached vertically to the upper faces of the hinge-pieces B B B and between the uprights B B B, thus formingsolid leaves.

In the construction of my flexible back I do not confine myself to parallel pieces with beveled edges in the form of keystones. This is also attained by me by the use of a series of short keystone-shaped pieces, as if the hinge-pieces B B B were cutaway at the middle, leaving only the extreme ends thereof, suitable connections for supporting the hinged leaves taking the place of the cut-away portion of the hinge-pieces; or the lower ends of the upright pieces B B B may be shaped like keystones and held together by corresponding series of keystone-shaped hingepieces flexibly connected with each other at .the upper points of their beveled edges, at-

tached to the outsides of the ends of the vuprights B B B, with suitable connections between -the uprightpieces B B B to support the hinged leaves.

T e essential feature of my invention is that the exible back should turn upon a series of keystones in contact at the uppermost points of their beveled sides or edges when the portfolio is closed and binding together by the contact of their beveled sides or edges when the portfolio is open, and that the uprights and connections forming the hinged leaves should work in unison with the action of the series of keystones.

By the use of an end piece a a, fixed to the case A a,and a suitable lock f and handle e, the portfolio may be kept securely closed and transported from place to place. My portfolio is thus adapted to use as a sample case or trunk. v

The operation of the portfolio is as follows: The portfolio, being closed, as shown in Fig. 4, is opened, when, by the action of the beveled hinge-pieces B B B, the hinged leaves are thrown apart and upward, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. These hinged leaves are held firmly in an upright position by the binding or pressing together of the beveled sides or edges of the hinge-pieces 13' I3 B, and to eifect this the angle of the bevel of the central pieces is more acute than that of the outer pieces. Thus the necessity for connecting-chains or leather pockets between the hinged leaves to keep them in an upright position is done away with, While the broad upper faces of the hinge-pieces B 13 B afford a square surface for the contents of the portfolio to rest upon Without jamming, the spaces at the bottom between the leaves being always the Width of the upper faces of the hinge-pieces B B B, Whether the portfolio be open or shut. By the arrangement of the keystonebevel,-more or less acute, of the pieces 15 B B, any number of hinge-pieces and hinged leaves may be inserted.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. A portfolio composed of a case, a flexible back attached thereto, and hinged leaves connected with the flexible back, said flexible back consisting of a series of keystone-shaped pieces flexibly connected with each other at the upper points of their beveled sides or edges, in contact with each other at the upper points of their beveled sides or edges when the portfolio is closed, and capable of binding together by the contact of their beveled sides or edges with each other when the portfolio is open, said hinged leaves consisting of upright pieces and connections Working in unison with the series of keystone-shapedpieces, all substantially as described.

2. In a portfolio, a hinge consisting of a series of keystone-shaped pieces flexibly connected with each other at the upper points of their beveled sides or edges, in contact with each other at said upper points of their beveled sides or edges when the portfolio is closed, and capable of binding together by the con tact of their beveled sides or edges With each other when the portfolio is open, substantially as set forth.

3. In a portfolio, the combination of acase, a series of keystone-shaped pieces flexibly connected with each other at the upper points of their beveled sides or edges joined to said case, said keystone-shaped pieces being in contact with each other at the upper points of their beveled sides or edges when the portfolio is closed, and capable of binding together by the contact of their beveled sides or edges when the portfolio is open, With hinged leaves composed of upright pieces, and connections working in unison with the keystone-shaped pieces, substantially as set forth.

4;. In a portfolio, the combination of a case A a, a flexible back connected therewith, consisting of a series of keystone-shaped pieces flexibly connected With each other at the upper points of their beveled sides or edges and Workin g upon each other, as described, with upright pieces B B B, and connections working in unison with the keystone-shaped pieces, all substantially as set forth.

5. In a portfolio,substantially as described, the combination of a series of keystoneshaped pieces flexibly connected with each other at the upper points of theirbeveled sides or edges and Working upon each other, as described, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a portfolio, the combination of a case A a with pieces B 3 B, of wood or suitable material, attached thereto, said pieces B B B having their sides or edges beveled in the form of keystones and being flexibly held together by a fastening c e e, of canvas, leather, tape, cord, or suitable material, upon their upper facesnvith upright pieces B B B I) I) Z), and connections 0 c 0, attached to the beveled pieces B 3' B at or near the respective ends of said beveled pieces and upon the upper faces thereof, all substantially as described.

7. In a portfolio, substantially as described, the combination of pieces l5 5' B, of Wood or suitable material, having their sides or edges beveled in the form of keystones, and being flexibly held together at the upper points of their beveled sides or edges by a fastening e e c, of canvas, leather, tape, cord, or suitable material, and Working upon each other, as described, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ALBERT EDWARDS.

Witnesses:

FREDK. \V. CnooK, JAMES M. BALL. 

